1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to heat exchanger tubes and, in particular, to a new and useful device for hydraulically expanding a tube within a tubesheet.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the power plant field, a tubesheet is used for a nuclear steam generator, heat exchanger or a similar component that houses several thousand tube ends. The tubesheet has numerous holes previously drilled in it which allows for each tube end to be inserted therethrough. The tube ends are welded to the tubesheet and circumferentially expanded into the tubesheet holes through virtually the full thickness of the tubesheet. This process is commonly referred to as full depth expansion.
The expansion of the tube ends can be achieved through mechanical or hydraulic processes. When manufacturing components for a nuclear steam generator, it is preferable that hydraulic expansion be used. Each tube is hydraulically expanded into its tube hole after welding so that the expansion closes the crevice between the tube and the hole in order to avoid a potential corrosion site.
Hydraulic expansion is the recommended method for nuclear steam generators because it produces less residual stress in the tube and reduces the potential for stress corrosion cracking compared to other expansion methods. The tube is expanded by inserting a probe. The expansion probe has a seal positioned at each end of the expansion zone. Distilled water at 35,000 psi (2413 bar) is pumped through the probe which expands the tube and seals it against the tube hole.
The expansion probe must be carefully positioned with respect to the secondary face of the tubesheet. If the probe is positioned beyond the face, then unacceptable tube deformation could occur. If the probe is too far inside the tube hole, an unacceptably long crevice could possibly result. Therefore, the tubesheet thickness variation is measured and the probe length is adjusted to ensure proper positioning.
In the central region of a tubesheet, the tubes are expanded using a one-step full depth hydraulic expansion mandrel. For those tubes located at the outer periphery of the tubesheet, a two-step hydraulic expansion technique is used to expand the tube ends due to possible interference with the hemispherical head.
Presently, there is no known device which can be utilized to expand a tube end over the entire tubesheet including peripheral areas.